Ep. 55- A Curse of a Different Sort

ext. tournament yard night

The conclusion of the tournament. Knights rushing to and fro on the field removing their injured comrades. The Old Queen and Strength are at the side of the yet unconscious Young Queen. Roughly 100 feet away, two knights carry the now blind Judgment from the field, the enigmatic Sun trailing behind them.

The Young Queen comes to and for a moment her blurry vision focuses on the Sun, who stops for a moment, turns and looks directly at her, his placid, unchanging smile lingering on her before turning back to see to the transportation of Judgment.

The Young Queen looks up to see the Old Queen and smiles.

YOUNG QUEEN
Did I win?

OLD QUEEN
(seriously)
Is possession of a crown truly a victory?

STRENGTH
(quietly)
What do you remember?

The Young Queen’s face darkens when she sees Strength. There is no pleasure in this reunion.

YOUNG QUEEN
Come to finally take credit for the student you gave up on?

OLD QUEEN
Honestly-

STRENGTH
(rising)
No, it’s fine. She remains a fool- and that is best for us all. Goodbye.

Strength turns her back and leaves without so much as a look behind her. But a look of pensive hurt flashes across her face, unseen, as she walks away. Seconds later she dissipates into a cloudy mist, disappearing entirely.

YOUNG QUEEN
(struggling to her feet)
Typical Major Arcana. Can’t even lower herself enough to waste more than two sentences on anyone they think is weaker.

OLD QUEEN
Listen well- because this is your first lesson- from one queen to the next-

YOUNG QUEEN
(rubbing her head)
So I did win?

OLD QUEEN
(removes her crown and hands it to the Young Queen)
Yes, if you’d call this curse your victory. Someday, it will be yours and you will be forced to take it upon your own head. And when that day comes you will learn that your words and deeds represent not yourself- but your people. Which means that you will be forced to bear with indignities from our betters if you wish for your house to survive.

YOUNG QUEEN
(indignant)
Our betters? The Major Arcana are not-

OLD QUEEN
(harshly)
The only reason Strength does not obliterate your very existence with a single touch is because she still thinks kindly of you- as a student.

YOUNG QUEEN
I am not her student.

OLD QUEEN
Only a fool would so quickly cast off the favor of a living god. Are you such a fool? Is my house someday to be ruled by a fool?

YOUNG QUEEN
I…I am not a fool.

She hands the crown back to the Old Queen.

YOUNG QUEEN
But I cannot accept the way things are.

OLD QUEEN
My predecessor once told me “though Queens we are, we are but slaves to the gods”. It is the way of things. Bravado and progressive thinking can only take you so far. The Major Arcana are the wall that we must accept.

YOUNG QUEEN
I’ll be different.

The Old Queen looks around the clearing field. Most of the injured knights have been cleared. She sees Judgment being lifted into a wagon by a pair of white cloaked servants who bear the crest of the Sun. The Sun, himself, directs them. He looks back once more across the field, sees the Old Queen, and raises a single hand, his ominous, unchanging smile cooly regarding her. The Old Queen shudders.

OLD QUEEN
That’s what I’m afraid of…